Feb/March Faves

Hi y’all! I haven’t been motivated to post here at all, I am terrible hahaha as I’m still holding on hope for dayre and updating there whenever I can. But hey, I got myself a .com and told myself I’ll update here for real so here I am – 2nd faves post of the year!

Thought of doing one in Feb but by the time I got down to it, it was almost mid March so I thought why not just combine both. I’ve discovered some pretty bomb products so here we go~~~

There is a good mix of makeup and skincare products, as I’m always trying now products, more so for skincare these days.

First skincare item is the Mamonde Petal Purifying Bubble Mask! If you have been around for awhile now, you’ll know that I do not use wash-off masks much as I do not enjoy the washing off part. However, I’ve been telling myself to try to incorporate wash-off masks at least once or twice a week as they give different benefits to the skin that regular sheet masks do not.

When Mamonde sent me all 4 of their floral masks on tubs (wash-off/sleeping masks), I was really excited to try them! I’ve mentioned them in my previous post here. Among the 4, my fave is definitely this!!!

The Mamonde Petal Purifying Bubble Mask is not just a regular wash-off mask, as its name suggests – It bubbles up! In the tub, it’s like this thick clay mask texture. You scoop some out and spread it all over the face (avoiding eye area and lips), after you have cleansed and used a toner. It will start foaming and having dense bubbles in just 10 seconds or so, super quick! Leave it on for just 1-2 mins, go to the bathroom and massage it with moist fingers. Once you have gently massaged all over the face, you can rinse off with warm water.

I was so shocked at how bright my skin looked after! It’s like I become 1-2 tones fairer and my uneven skin tone is definitely less obvious. Plus my skin also feels softer and it’s not drying AT ALL! It was hooked at first use and I try to use this weekly since I’ve started on it. I’ll do ahead and do the rest of my skincare steps, even with a sheet mask after. This mask helps to calm down any redness, revitalize the skin and keeps it bouncy & soft. It’s also one of the quickest and most fun-looking wash-off mask I’ve used!

If you like rose scent, you will love the scent of this mask as there’s real rose petals added in! Plus hello, pink colour mask? YES PLEASE. Definitely will continue using it to keep my skin in great condition and if am not rushing for time in the morning, I think this is THE perfect morning mask to use as the waiting time is literally just 1 min.

Second skincare item is from Etude House – The SoonJung PH 5.5 Relief Toner

I myself am surprised that I enjoy using this as I haven’t been loving any EH skincare products ever since I started dabbling into kbeauty. I always go to the brand for affordable good makeup, but never skincare products.

I bought this during my Korea trip late last year and only broke it out to use in Feb as I was facing some redness and small bumps during parts of the month, and wanted to keep my skincare as simple and minimal as possible when I was trying to improve my skin’s condition. This toner looks and feels just like water – Super watery (like water lol) and has no scent whatsoever. This toner uses 97% natural ingredients, has a low pH of 5.5 to keep skin hydrated and balanced. It is also free of potential irritants like fragrance, artificial color, and parabens! There’s also awesome ingredients like panthenol, a skin-benefitting compound closely related to Vitamin B5 and madecassoside which is derived from Centella asiatica (a super hit ingredient still).

First got to know about this Soon Jung line through IG where a beauty account I follow has mentioned this products multiple times and how she has gone through countless bottle as it really works for her ultra sensitive skin. This pushed me to get it as I do have sensitive skin and my skin’s condition fluctuates depending on environment and my diet. I’m so glad I gave this a go as it really is a straight up simple toner that brought relief to my skin and did what a toner should do – Adjust my the pH of my skin back to normal after cleansing and added moisture which acts as a great base for all my other skincare to be layered on top.

I do not use this everyday as I have quite many toners on rotation, but I tend to reach out for this if my skin feels extra sensitive that day and I would say this is almost on par with my all-time fave Laneige Fresh Calming Toner, just that the Laneige one helps to soothe redness better which the Etude House one is great for those who do not like scent in their skincare and want something as minimal as possible. I highly recommend this for those who have ultra sensitive skin or wants to remove scented skincare as much as possible!

Another skincare item which has saved my skin’s condition whenever I face dryness or irritation. This is the Minon Amino Moist, Moist Charge Milk and I bought it initially cause Clare raved about it, on how it made her skin feel soft and nice. Plus I was on the lookout for a new night time moisturizer to try and I was popping into Watsons all too often, so picked it up one day and started using it every night as the very last step of my nighttime routine.

It is awesome! My skin will always be super soft the next day, without having any issue of clogged pores which tend to happen if a moisturizer I have used it too heavy or on the thicker side of this. This is not a gel cream texture, but it doesn’t feel like it’s a thick layer sitting on top of my skin. I have to admit, it is on the slightly oilier side of things, yet my acne-prone combination skin truly loves it! It is formulated for delicate, sensitive skin and has no added fragrance, so it is great for all skin types.

9 types of hydrating amino acids (valine, threonine, serine, leucine, proline, histidine, glycine, alanine, arginine) are in the formulation which helps to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, to strengthen and moisturize. I do feel the texture of my skin, especially the driest part of my face (my cheeks), have improved significantly! I always skip sleeping mask whenever I use this as it is a wonderful product to seal everything in. Also, the pump bottle is bonus as it is so much easier and hygienic to dispense a product this way instead of digging your fingers into a tub.

Oh yes! On some nights where I find my cheeks are really dry, I will even apply some of this on top of whatever moisturizer I have also used. Just a small trick I do for combination skin – Layer more moisturizing products on drier spots only so your oilier/normal areas will not have too much products on them which means lesser chance of clogged pores or breakout!

For sheet mask, these are my fave find for the past couple of months. As usual, I popped into Watsons and will wander into the sheet mask aisle to see what’s on offer or what to replenish on. I think these Faith on Face Pearl Cellulose Sheet Masks were on 20 or 30% discount, so I picked them up, which turned out to be wonderful~

Among the 2 I got, I Need Relaxing Care sheet mask has been my go-to for irritated skin days where my redness is out of control. My skin is always plump, moisturized and so much calmer after using this for 20mins. The sheet mask material itself is not particularly amazing, but the essence is really really good. It is like a slightly thicker consistency, yet I do not feel the need to wipe everything off after I am done with the mask. I will gently pat any excess essence in, before going in with a light moisturizer. The mask contains green tea, baobab and aloe plant extract to soothe and strengthen the skin.

As for the I Am Always Bright sheet mask is not as soothing as the one mentioned above, but it does brighten my skin and I am always up for that! Dullness of my skin is something I am constantly battling with and became I am not exactly fair or tan, I am lurking in the inbetween spectrum where any dullness will make me look almost… Dirty. So aside from serums, I will use sheet masks to improve brightness of my skin and this is one I do like as it is definitely brightening too.

If you are in the mood to try new sheet masks, don’t hesitate to pick up a box of either FIF ones! I think I will try a couple more in the same range and check back in again if I find any ones I like as much.

Moving on to makeup, I knew I just HAD TO put this foundation in. It is my current fave foundation from Bobbi Brow, called the Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15 PA+++. Initially I wanted to do a long dedicated post, with check-in pictures and in-depth review. But work life got the better of me and I have shared on this so many times through dms/emails/with friends irl, so thought of slipping it into my faves post so I can talk about it now, in case my detailed post don’t happen hahaha

This is their latest foundation and it’s been getting so many good reviews, which I can totally see why! It is targeted for normal to oily skin, can work dry skin too if you use a hydrating primer or add a drop or two of oil in the foundation. I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and my combination skin is LOVING it! I’ll prep my skin by moisturizing my drier areas more, then use a brush to blend out the foundation on my face. I’ll go over with 1 later first, then use another layer on for areas that need more coverage. It layers super well, no streaks or cakey look, blends like a dream!

The foundation is meant to withstand humidity and extreme heat, being waterproof, sweat- and humidity-resistant. Also has minimal creasing and stays colour-true, which is awesome. I wouldn’t say this is full coverage like it claims to be (unless you layer at least 3 layers which I think some do and still looks great), but it is indeed super weightless on the skin! Like nothing much on the skin you know, like your skin can breathe through out the day. It also holds up super well around my nose which is where the oils will be overflowing, even without primer. I wore it once to an outdoor event, think it was Bobbi Brown’s event launch for this very foundation and the sun was blazing. My hair was gross from all the perspiration and I was feeling sticky, but my foundation still looked SO fresh by the end of the day. Mighty impressed!

I’ve gotten so many friends to try a sample of it from their counter/store, and most of them went to buy it despite its slightly higher price tag. I highly recommend it for anyone! Especially those with oily skin or with imperfections on the skin that you dk not want to accentuate with cakey base makeup.

The LG one is something I’ve have in my collection for awhile now. Took it out to use sometime in Feb and I can’t seem to stop! I’ve gotten quite a few compliments and questions about what highlighter I’m wearing, when I use this. I mostly only use the shade Glided Honey which is the most well known highlighter shade from them! It’s the kind of highlighter that give a wet look and it’s soooo gorgeous especially under the right kind of light. If you are into wam-bam highlight like me, you will love this! Only thing is it’s not available in SG, I for it off Beautybay awhile ago and you can check if it’s still available there.

The ABH Amrezy one is my newest buy and I don’t really buy much makeup anymore. It’s a highlighter that’s highly raved! You can use it lightly for an definitely-there-but-not-crazy highlight or layer it on for more blinding highlight. You can wet your highlighting brush too! The shade is great for light to medium skin tone, as it melts into my skin and blends our very easily.

Next makeup items is this blush from 3CE, it’s the Mood Recipe Face Blush in Rose Beige. Sorry that it looks darker in my photo, it’s definitely more dusty and lighter irl! I’ve been using this so many times these two months as it gives just a nice wash of colour on my cheeks and blends in super nicely with the rest of my makeup. A great day-to-day blush! The packaging is very simple but trendy, soft matte touch so I like to touch it hahahaha

Last but not least, the lipsticks I can’t stop using are the Colourpop Lux Lipsticks! They are creamy, glides on the lips like a dream and has a satin finish. Very very comfortable lipsticks and my dry lips love them! They are easy to touch up too and the packaging is so pretty in rose gold, definitely don’t feel like they are only USD$7 a pop!

My fave shades are Still Crazy, Ghosted and Foolish. They have dropped new shades lately and I stopped myself from getting any, if not I don’t have to use other lippies already!

Okay that’s the end of my faves post, hope I’ll find more new gems to share. Also will try to be more active here! As I have quite many posts ideas, so stay tunedddd